If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Bradley Deals With Fallout From "Win" Which Resulted in Death Threats

We like stoppages. We just do. Does that make us savages? Nah, we do so many other things which remind us that we are animals, looking for finishes in fights is about 997 on the list. But let's put it this wayÖmore people will be talking about Keith Thurman on Monday morning if he takes out Jan Zaveck in vicious fashion than were talking about ultra-skilled Gary Russell Jr. on Monday morning after he did his thing but couldn't stop Vyacheslav Gusev in Vegas.
This brings me to Timothy Bradley--he fights Russian Ruslan Provodnikov Saturday, March 16, in his first outing since beating, or "beating," Manny Pavquiao last June, and on a Tuesday conference call to hype the scrap, we heard that Bradley is a new Bradley (29-0 with 12 KOs). We heard that he's grown, from trainer Joel Diaz, and that he might well be the first man to stop the Russian with the 22-1 mark. "Tim is really smart and now his punching power has now increased because we made some adjustments," Diaz said. "You are going to see a different Tim Bradley on the 16th and donít be surprised if it doesnít go the distance."
The two will tangle at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and the bout will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxingģ, beginning at 10:15 P.M. ET / PT.
So anyway, the stoppage idea sounds good to me, and what with all the idiocy flowing from judges' pencils, who in their right mind would settle for a decision anyway?
"I am looking to make a statement in this fight and I am looking to damage this guy," Bradley said. "I am looking to put this guy out. I donít want to go 12 rounds with this guy. The longer he stays around the more confident he will get so I want to get him out of there as soon as possible."
You got the sense that the "win" over Pacquiao didn't bring Bradley (photo above by Chris Farina-Top Rank) what he might have expected to gain from it. The win didn't bring him the megafight he'd expected, or the riches, or the respect. He said he's stopped reading about himself and now doesn't care what haters say. You felt for the guy when he shared how he got hammered after the win. "Some people talked about my wife, my kids," he said. "People sent me death threats after the fight because I won undeservingly. (I got death threats thru the) mail and phone calls. I didnít report anything. I am in my house and nobody will mess with me when Iím in my house. I didnít really take them seriously. People were mad but I didnít think they would come to my house and take me out. I donít think that would ever happen."
Yikes, think people take their sporting events a bit too seriously?
It is clear Bradley, all these months later, is still trying to figure out that Pacquiao fight, the result and the ramifications. When asked about Pacquiao's KO loss to Marquez, he said, "Do you want the devil's side or do you want to good side of me? One side said Ďthatís what you get for not re-matching me.í The other side said Ďthat was a helluva fight and I canít believe what just happened.'
Trainer Diaz created some buzz when asked about Freddie Roach, who is training Provodnikov, and has for his last three bouts. "Freddie Roach is not my concern," he said. "My concern is the fighter. Freddie Roach was just a name that was created. I think Freddie Roach lost the love of the sport. He created a name and itís out there but he doesnít have the compassion for the sport that he had a few years agoÖFreddie Roach is always trying to play mind games. Freddie says Tim is going to run Ė that is just Freddie playing mind games. They donít know how we are going to fight. He is trying to get under Timís skin. At the end of the day Tim is going to be a winner, and thatís what matters."
Later, when he was on the line, Roach responded. "I could tell him where to go but he doesnít know me," he said. "He doesnít know what I do every day. He doesnít see me in the gym working with these fighters. I know heís just saying it to get under my skin. I have a game plan and the right fighters to carry that game plan through and on the 16th weíll see whoís the better coach or whoís the better man." He then softened on Diaz. "I donít read anything he says," he said. "I just donít have time for that. I'm sure he is a nice person outside of the ring.
Readers, could Provodnikov spring the upset?
(Remaining tickets to the Bradley-Provodnikov world welterweight championship event, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, can be purchased online at AXS.com or by phone at 888-929-7849 as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Suites are available by calling 1-877-604-8777. For information of group discounts, please call 1-877-234-8425.)

Re: Bradley Deals With Fallout From "Win" Which Resulted in Death Threats

Nice article . Not sure if Bradley means it or not. The Russian is tough. Bradley should try and get rid of him early if he's ready to eat some shots and catch the guy in between punches.or Bradley should box but he should move lateral instead of backwards . If he is on the back foot most of the time I don't see him winning and he might get overwhelmed .

Re: Bradley Deals With Fallout From "Win" Which Resulted in Death Threats

A simple way to assess whether Tim Bradley beats Ruslan Provodnikov *may* be to ask whether Bradley is better than Mauricio Herrera and/or whether Provodnikov will present a tougher challenge (for Tim) than Luis Abregu did in 2010.

That question and the backgrounds to the Herrera V Provodnikov and Bradley V Abregu fights may tell all thatís needed to know about the fate of the Provodnikov V Bradley fight.

Bear in mind also that Tim Bradley fought Abregu, as Timís first welterweight fight and also whilst Tim was practically a light welterweight. Not a bad experience to call on for a guy like Provodnikov.

Needless to say Abregu was a fully blown welterweight with a high KO percentage when Tim fought and beat him, and Tim wasnít really even a welterweight at all; as substantiated by the fact that Bradley went straight back to light welterweight and then successfully walked down Devon Alexander for the WBO and WBC light welterweight titles in 2011.

Regardless of that win, Bradley is still not a KO artist. Doesnít mean he can't handle one though.

Fact is, Bradley handled Luis Abregu relatively easy. As demonstrated by the wide scorecard margins. To do that he had to know how to negate Abreguís power, because Abregu was at that stage pretty much already a KO artist - that is unless winning by the easy route 80% of the time deserves another more apt and less flattering description.

To Provodnikov; he had a life and death struggle in a great fight with Herrera, whom is arguably a class (or two) down on Bradley. There is no doubt in my mind that Herrera would be destroyed and perhaps ruined permanently, if he fought Bradley.

Provodnikov looks like he fights with a controlled rage and that may or may not be a good/bad thing. It certainly makes him predictable and available for a wide variety of shots; particularly for the fighter that doesnít buckle when being rushed and attacked.

Provodnikov may also have a little more intensity than Abregu, but from Bradleyís perspective itís not unreasonable to imagine him thinking that fighting a welterweight OK artist Abregu - whilst Tim himself was easily a weight division below - probably means that Luisí additional torque on his forward gears makes up for any extra intensity Provodnikov may have over Abregu.

Aside from that Timís underlying strategy for fighting Provodnikov probably wonít be too dissimilar to Luis Abregu, or any other fiercely competitive puncher that, if he has more than 1 dimension, it is rarely on display.

The principles on how each style deals with another never change, just the means and ways it is employed and wrapped up in anything additional and special that may constitute and exhibition of ancillary skills and special effects.

Currently Ruslan has been putting almost 70% of his opponents to sleep. Whereas Abregu (who appears to have battled better competition) has effectively used the sleeping pills in both hands to finish approximately 80% of his fights early.

A relatively shop worn DeMarcus Corley, whom had lost no less than 5 fights in a row prior to Provodnikov selecting him as an opponent, managed to stay out of harmís way and avoid a charging Ruslan Provodnikov - who attempted to throw murderous punches almost completely throughout his fight with Corley in 2011.

Corley (not without some style and other similarities to Bradley) in his fight with the Russian Ruslan Provodnikov laid out one way to avoid Provodnikovís KO attempts. Itís not an insignificant consideration because a KO must surely be the most obvious way he can beat Bradley, unless someone out there sincerely believes Provodnikov can stick and move with Bradley and win on points.

Interestingly, DeMarcusí game-plan and ability to survive Provodnikov on that night was also not without its similarities to how Kassim Ouma (someone else both Corley and Bradley have similarities with) fought for 12 rounds and unexpectedly extended Golovkin; who is another fighter with a Russian/Kazakhstan decendency that sometimes (like Provodnikov) falls in love with punching - even though it doesnít always have a strategic purpose.

Corley had been successively beaten by several top level or pretty good guys prior to his fight with Ruslan Provodnikov; but Provodnikov - despite arguably selecting Corley for a KO win (why else fight a name opponent that had just lost for the fifth time in a row prior to your offer?) - still couldnít get him out of there early.

If Provodnikov can't get a past his prime and defensive minded Corley, who is approaching his sixth loss in a row, out early; the question is what did Corley do to nullify Provodnikov and can Bradley do the same and or better? Stated like that, itís hard to arrive at the conclusion that Bradley can't

Over to perhaps something positive about Provodnikoví.

Emmanuel Augustus, after a lengthy and tough career found Provodnikov across the ring from him in 2010. At that stage of Augustusí career (unlike Corley) he was unable to move, punch and think defensively when faced with reasonably big punchers; all at the same time. He was KOíd in 9 rounds by Provodnikov.

After Ruslan Provodnikov fought DeMarcus Corley he then fought and knocked out Torres and Reynoso; whom, whilst not stiffs, were hardly tremendous challenges. They served their purposes though and Provodnikov got KO wins on both counts by simply running over them so hard that they couldnít get out of the way.

Provodnikov is a vicious body puncher. And, when given the chance, he doesnít go to the head too badly either.

While all that happened for Provodnikov, Bradley had fought Alexander, Casamayor and Pacquiao. Bradley beat them all, and knocked out an ageing Joel Casamayor. Furthermore, Pacquiao who was arguably a better KO artist than Provodnikov, failed to knockout Tim when Tim controversially beat him.

Prior to the Alexander win, Bradley successfully fought the above-mentioned; Abregu, Campbell, Witter and Peterson, Cherry and Holt. Looking at that line-up; itís not even worth mentioning Provodnikoví competition during those same times - unless you didnít want to draw comparisons or conclusions from the competition/differences.

When Herrera fought Provodnikov in 2011 both guys, particularly Herrera, were pushed to their limits. At times Herrera was so tired and hurt that he was merely punching on instinct. But the fact he kept punching and countering after Provodnikov came in and landed or missed - regardless of how tired and uncollected Mauricio was - became significant and paid dividends on the scorecards.

That was because of Provodnikoví lack of meaningful defence.

If Herrera was able to remain composed enough to both make Provodnikov miss and also deliver his own power shots, without putting too much muscle/effort behind it; Provodnikov probably would have gone down. Still regardless of all this, even when Provodnikov got caught, hit and buzzed; his game-plan never changed.

That will not be a good thing against Bradley and itís probably why Roach is saying that Provodnikov will fight Tim differently; regardless of whether itís true or not.

If Corley can get out of the way and survive after 5 losses; itís probably fair to say, so can Tim. And if Abregu can't land enough telling power shots against Bradley, then Roach better be serious when he says Provodnikov will fight differently; not in the least as not only had Bradley shown us that he can take away guys like Abregu and Provodnikoví main weapons - but Provodnikov may also just be easier to hit than most of Bradleyís opponents over the last 3 or 4 years.

Herrera has shown us that.

Provided Bradley can handle and diffuse Provodnikoví power, and remain composed; he should have it in the bag. Bradleyís skills, movement, combinations, better class of opponents and overall experience tell us that.

Re: Bradley Deals With Fallout From "Win" Which Resulted in Death Threats

He has neither brain power or punching power, just cranium crushing your syet with dat big-arse cranium crusher. And his can run like bambi with those size-13 dogs. WTF! People ought to quit searching for "Big Foot." My theory is that Bradley is the culprit. He cannot admit to losing. Maybe he will fess up about being Big Foot.

Bradley should be getting mad pay. He's a freak. How many 5-foot-5 cats do you know that wear a size nine hat and a size 13 shoe? After his squared-jungle career, he should sign up for a traveling circus or carnival. And he can keep up his fantasy of beating Da Manny and how Da Manny is scare of him. Holla!

Re: Bradley Deals With Fallout From "Win" Which Resulted in Death Threats

All good points Amayseng. I have often wondered too, why Tim didn't just concede the Pacquiao fight was very close. As for Bradley's lack of KO wins, that's interesting too. As, you would think, he will need some power to tame Ruslan; unless he intend to use his head (again).